Rio Grande Ribs Recipes

RIO GRANDE RUB STEAKS

Steps:

• Let steaks rest from refrigerator for a few minutes to take the chill off.
• Preheat grill pan or indoor electric grill to high heat. Combine spice rub ingredients: ground Ancho chile, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Rub spice blend into steaks.
• Coat sliced red onion with a drizzle of oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Grill steaks and onion slices 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. Let meat stand 5 minutes for juices to redistribute. Season steaks with salt. Top with separated rings of red grilled onions. Serve with hot Cracked Cornbread and Cheese Squares and Mexican Salad.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with butter. Stir cheese, corn, and scallions into packaged mixed corn muffin batter.
• Pour batter into baking dish and bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Yield: 4 + servings
• Cut avocados in half, working around the pit. Separate the 2 halves. Remove pit and scoop out avocado flesh with a spoon. Wedge avocados and pile in the center of a large platter. Seed and wedge tomatoes and arrange around the avocados. Spread sliced onion over platter. Sprinkle platter with cilantro. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes evenly over vegetables. Season with coarse salt. Drizzle platter with oil and serve.
• Yield: 4 servings

TANGY RIBS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Place the ribs in a shallow roasting pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with onions. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes; drain. Combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour over ribs. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

RIO GRANDE BEEF BURRITOS WITH ROASTED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan. Rub both sides of steak with garlic and cumin, then with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and lime juice. Let stand while preparing peppers.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes. Add chiles and peppers and stir until heated through. Add cream, then 3/4 cup cheese and stir until mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Add oregano. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook until brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side for very rare. Transfer to work surface. Halve across width, then cut against grain into thin slices.
• Hold 1 tortilla over gas burner on low or place on electric burner on low until heated through, about 15 seconds per side. Place tortilla on work surface. Spoon 1/4 cup pepper mixture down center of tortilla. Top with 1/4 of meat. Roll up tortilla, enclosing filling. Arrange in baking pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas, 3/4 cup pepper mixture, and remaining meat. Spoon remaining pepper mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Do ahead Can be assembled 2 hours ahead. Cover with foil and refrigerate.
• Bake uncovered (cover if burritos were refrigerated) until cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes.

WESTERN-STYLE GRILLED SPARERIBS

Steps:

• Trim the spareribs, if necessary, and rub both sides of the ribs with the dry rub, working it into the meat. Put the ribs in a shallow glass or ceramic dish, cover, and set aside at room temperature for no longer than 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Alternatively, enclose the ribs in a sealable plastic bag and refrigerate.
• Prepare a charcoal or gas grill, arranging the coals for indirect cooking. Lightly spray the grill rack with vegetable cooking spray. The coals should be hot.
• Set the ribs, meat side down, over the hottest part of the fire and sear for about 10 minutes until there are defined grill marks on the meat. Transfer the ribs to the cooler part of the grill, cover, and turning the ribs every 15 to 20 minutes, cook for about 1 1/2 hours. If using a charcoal grill, add fresh coals to maintain the heat at medium; if using a gas grill, turn the heat to medium on the burner away from the meat -- turn off the burner under the meat. Cut the ribs between the bones and serve with sauce on the side.
• Mix the ingredients together in a glass jar or bowl. Cover and shake to mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.

RIO GRANDE RIBS

Steps:

• Place ribs in slow cooker. Combine picante sauce, beer, mustard, Worcestershire and chili powder in a small bowl. Pour mixture over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (or on high for 3 hours), until ribs are tender. Transfer ribs to serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from sauce. Turn slow cooker to high. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl, stir into slow cooker. Add 1 cup French fried onions. Cook 15 minutes or until thickened. Spoon sauce over ribs; sprinkle with remaining onions.